


Meeting

by DreamerFae



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Comedy, F/M, Romance, Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-16 19:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 12,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14171442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerFae/pseuds/DreamerFae
Summary: Touka, a Kamii University student meets Haise, the owner of a bookstore and falls immediately in love. Will a relationship between them work? AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> kudos or comments are greatly appreciated throughout this book. thank you

It all started with looking for a certain book. The Kamii University Literature student was searching high and low for a particular book named 'The Black Goat's Egg' and apparently, it's a very popular book that was out of stock at every bookstore she visited.

"Touka-Chan!!!" The violet-haired female's ears perked up at her best friend's voice and turned to see Yoriko running towards her while waving a hand. She stopped in front of her and panted. "What are your plans for today?"

"Still searching for the damned book."

"Oh I see!" Yoriko's eyes wandered to her watch and she gasped. "Oh no. I'm late in meeting my boyfriend! I'll see you tomorrow!"

With that, the blonde haired female ran off and left Touka alone there. She sighed as she glanced around to find any bookshops that she still hasn't checked out, but to no avail. Walking down the streets, she turned into a narrow aisle and spotted a small bookstore in the corner. Squinting her eyes to read the name of the store, she wondered why the owner named it that because it didn't make sense to her. Re..?

She then scanned the appearance of the store. On the left was the door and on the right were transparent glass panels which showed the large number of bookshelves the store had.

Hoping that she'll be able to find the book in this shop, she entered the store and heard a pleasant 'ding' sound of the bell as the door opened. The interior was somewhat antique, with the walls and floor being wooden and old bookshelves brimming with books.

Her ears picked up the sound of Chopin, Nocturne 9 No.2 being played in the background. The music added to the calming and homey atmosphere of the place. Maybe that's what the owner was going for when designing this store. Shaking out of her thoughts, she quickly scanned through every bookshelf in search of her stupid book.

Shaking out of her thoughts, she quickly scanned through every bookshelf in search of her stupid book.

She was starting to lose hope as she approached the last few shelves until her eyes landed on the title: 'The Black Goat's Egg' at one of the higher shelves. Standing on her toes, she stretched her arm and struggled to take the book but failed. She cursed herself for being so short and having short arms.

Suddenly, an arm beside her reached for the same book with ease and took it down, holding it out for her. "Were you interested in this book, Miss?"

The voice of a male. Touka stared at the black and white haired male before her, who was wearing a blue apron over his black shirt and pants. A name tag was attached to the apron, saying 'Haise Sasaki'. An employee. She scolded herself for letting a random person see her struggle to get the book but took it from him with thanks anyway. A blush formed on her cheeks as she continued staring at his face. He's handsome...

Wait, what are you thinking? He's just an employee! Get your ass over to the cashier and pay for the book! She shook her head vigorously and he stared at her with a chuckle. "Would you like to purchase that?"

"Yes please."

"Then follow me." He walked towards the cash register and stood behind it. She passed the book to him and watched as he punched something on the register, scanned the book and placed it in a paper bag. "That'll be $17."

She fished out the money from her school bag and gave it to him. He then passed the paper bag to her, she took it and for a brief moment, their hands touched and she felt the electric feeling. Their heads tilted up and looked into each other's eyes. Chemistry.

Quickly withdrawing her hand, she thanked him and left the store. What was that? What was that?!

Her mind couldn't stop asking what and why she would have a reaction to that male employee. It wasn't as if it was her first time touching a boy. She has had a few relationships before but they have never made her heart flutter like this.

But why?

That was the start of her crush on the employee and she didn't know it yet.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Touka found herself back at the bookstore and she grasped the metal door handle tightly. I'm only here because I wanted to see other books, not to see him. She opened the door, the familiar bell rung and she was enveloped in the calming atmosphere once again. 

Inhaling the old scent of books, she let out a sigh and opened her eyes. She hated reading books but she loved the smell of them. Her eyes wandered the store and easily found Sasaki from his weird hair color combination of black and white.

He was in the middle of sorting the books by genres when he heard footsteps towards him and turned. His grey eyes met hers and he smiled. "Welcome again. Did you forget to buy something yesterday?"

Her heart rate started racing and she willed it to slow down but to no avail. Cheeks warming, she suddenly felt so nervous. She couldn't understand how she was completely fine when she was on her way here and why her hands started sweating only when she talked to him. "Uhh I'm just here to look around..."

Continue talking! Think of anything!

"Um, do you have some good literature books? I'm taking a Literature course now but I'm extremely lost so I was wondering if you had some books you could recommend." Touka mumbled. Well, it's a fact she was failing the subject but she couldn't tell him that.

"Ah, I was a Literature student once so I understand it can be hard to understand sometimes." She watched as his eyes—the color of grey clouds in the sky—scanned the shelves for a suitable book and picked out two for her. "I recommend these for beginners. If you're moving to intermediate or advanced, come back and I'll recommend you another few. Also, if you have any questions about the subject, you can approach me. I'll be happy to help."

He must have noticed her skeptical expression and laughed. "Believe me, I got a distinction in Literature."

Eyes widening, her jaw dropped and Touka blurted out. "How could you get a distinction?! The subject's hard as hell!" Realizing that she was shouting, she quickly covered her mouth and averted her gaze. "Sorry. Ignore that."

He laughed once again and it was like music to her ears. "Don't worry about it. I had the passion for the subject, that's why I was able to score well for it. I loved reading as well, so it was a plus." Sasaki then took the books from her hands. "Is that all you're buying today?" He asked, eyes crinkling from his smile.

Touka nodded and they proceeded to the cashier again, where he scanned the books and placed them into the paper bag. "That'll be $32."

She passed him the money and out of curiosity, she asked, "are you the only employee here?"

"Yes. I'm the owner."

"Oh. Don't you ever think of hiring more people to help you with the store? Handling all those books must be tiring." She continued.

"Ah come to think of it, having another worker would help me greatly."

Touka leaned forward. "Then can I work here?"

—

She couldn't fathom for the life of her why she even asked to work at his store. Her studies were a mess, she barely had time to do homework and study, not to mention her co-curricular activities, and yet she wants to work. At his bookstore. Something even weirder was her feeling so happy that she started skipping whilst walking--something she had never done--after he accepted her to work there.

Spilling all of the information to her best friend, Yoriko grinned so much that Touka was starting to think that she's creepy as hell. "Oh my gosh, Touka! You're crushing on him! You like him! Tell me more!! How old is he? Is he handsome?"

"Whoa calm down! Who said I liked him?" Touka fiddled with her fingers. "And yes, he's handsome..." Her cheeks burned at the confession.

Yoriko screamed as she fangirled. "I can't believe this, Touka-Chan in love! You need to take me to see him tomorrow!!"

She knew nothing could dissuade her stubborn friend from not going and decided to just shut up and go with her demand. The next day, she brought Yoriko to his shop. She observed the interaction between them and came to a conclusion. "You like him!"

She said it so loudly until Sasaki heard it and Touka quickly shushed her friend. Her face couldn't feel any hotter at this moment. "Hey—Yoriko! Stop that!" Turning back to Sasaki, she apologized for her friend's behavior and dragged her out of the shop. "What were you thinking, just shouting like that?!"

Yoriko giggles. "Teehee!~ But Touka-Chan, I'm serious! I can tell that you like him from the way your eyes sparkle when you talk to him! Why won't you admit it?"

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I've dated some guys before and he's just not my type. He's the goody two shoe kind and I don't like those."

Her friend placed her hands on her shoulders. "Then that just means you need to try going out with Sasaki-san. Who knows? You might like him better than you think you do."


	3. Chapter 3

Wanting to start work as soon as possible, Touka finished all of her projects and assignments in 3 nights and went to work the next day. As she stood in front of the shelves and slotted the books in one by one, her mind trailed back to what Yoriko said. "You might like him better than you think you do..."

"Like who?" Sasaki asked, from behind her back and prompting a shout from her for scaring her.

"Oh, nothing.."

He gave a nod and stood beside her to sort the books out on the cart. They were standing so close that Touka could feel the warmth radiating from his body and she wondered how it would be like if he just wrapped his arms around her just like that. He'd be saying her first name into her ear and his arms would hold her so tightly as if she was a piece of glass. Out of the 3 boys she dated, none of them lasted more than 3 months and ever gave her a feeling of safety. But somehow she felt that Sasaki would be able to do so.

She shook out of her thoughts and looked down, cheeks flushing. Just as Yoriko had said, she liked Sasaki, in a romantic way and she was sure that it happened on their first meeting when their hands touched over the cash register. The contact was electrifying and at that moment, she knew they had a connection. But it seemed Sasaki pretended it didn't happen or was just a dense person in these type of stuff.

"Kirishima-San? Are you okay? You look like you haven't been sleeping much and your face's red." Sasaki asked, shortened the space between them and peered at her face.

Touka took a step back. "I'm fine, really."

"Really?" He asked again, placed a hand on her forehead and she felt her face turn redder at the contact. His hand was big and warm and—"Do you want to rest for a bit in my house upstairs? You don't look well."

She knows a girl shouldn't go to a guy's house so willingly but seeing the concerned expression on his face, she just wanted him to be less worried. So she took a step, the world spun and her knees buckled. Right before hitting the ground, he caught her and was enveloped in his warm arms, who held her so tightly and she knew she would be safe before she closed her tired eyes. 

"Kirishima-San? Kirishima-San!"

His stomach flipped when he realized that she's running a fever and is out cold.

Sasaki carried her in his arms, moving to quickly flip the shop's 'open' signage to 'closed' and locked the door. Through the door behind the counter, he ran up the stairs to the second floor of the shop and unlocked the door to his apartment.

He rushed to his room and placed her on his bed gently. As he moved to pull the blankets over her, she pulled him down and pressed her lips to his. His eyes widened when she gazed at him with a smile. "Haise."

After calling his name, her eyes closed and she went into deep slumber. His fingers touched his lips and he struggled to get his racing heart to return to its normal rate as he went to get a wet small towel to place it on her forehead. He changed into a new set of clothes, sat down on the bed and stared at her. Why would she do that? She's sick so she must have mistaken me for someone else. But she said my name...

With both hands on his head, Sasaki messed up his hair and groaned in frustration. Best to just ask her tomorrow, even if she doesn't remember what happened. He's an adult, he cannot let this drag on. It needs to be addressed. As he was absorbed in his thoughts on how he's going to bring the topic up, Touka whimpered in her sleep and he watched her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth turn into a frown. A nightmare, maybe? He placed a hand on the side of her head in an attempt to soothe her and it did work when she stopped whimpering.

Having her bangs on her face while she slept must be uncomfortable—was what he thought when he pushed her hair to the side and exposed the usually hidden side of her face. The first thing that came to his mind when he saw her full face was that she's beautiful. He had always thought of her as cute, from being a student and his employee, but seeing her now changed his mindset. What he saw now was a beautiful woman.


	4. Chapter 4

Calm down, Haise! Remember the last time you thought someone was beautiful and lived to regret it? Yeah. One must not judge a person based on their looks, but their inside.

But he's aware that she isn't a bad person from the number of times they've talked. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in her, but she'd be turned off if she knew how old he was. If she confessed to him, he'll turn her down.

It was still afternoon so Haise left a note on the table to tell her that he was going to open the shop again and to call his number if she needed anything. With that, he went back down to the shop with mixed feelings.

By the time Touka woke up, it was already at night. She jolted up in bed and glanced around the room. A television was a few meters in front of her, a balcony on her left, a bookshelf brimming with books and a toilet on her right. "This isn't my room..."

The door opened and she pulled the blankets up to his chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of her boss standing at the door. "Sasaki-San! What happened? Why am I here?"

"You collapsed in the shop. I suspect it's due to insufficient rest. How are you feeling?" He asked, remaining at the same spot.

"I still feel a little dizzy..."

"I see. I made you porridge and got you some medicines. Wait here."

Whilst she waited for him, she brought the blankets up to her nose and sniffed. It smells like him... What are you doing at a time like this, you pervert?! She suddenly recalled pulling him down to kiss him and her hands slapped her face. What have I done?! I can't face him after doing that!

He returned to the room soon after, startling her and he placed a small bowl and a plastic bag full of medicines down onto the table beside the bed. She looked well enough to eat by herself so he asked her to eat first while he took out the pills she needed to take. She ate them, followed by a glass of warm water. "Thank you."

Grabbing a chair to sit, he rested his elbows on his thighs and intertwined his fingers together. "Are you well enough to have a little chat with me?"

"I guess..." She knew what he wanted to talk about but hoped it wasn't the case nevertheless.

"Do you remember what happened?"

She nodded and looked down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"I'm not blaming you for doing that but what made you do it? This may be presumptuous of me but do you have feelings for me, Kirishima-San?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

"I do. I liked you since the time our hands touched at the register." Touka admitted.

He waited for the air to return to his lungs and sucked in a breath."..I appreciate your feelings, but let's just pretend nothing happened between us and go back to how we used to be."

Clenching her hands into fists, it hurt her so much that he was that unwilling to accept her feelings. "Is it because I'm a student? I'm not underage, I'm already 18 years old. Or do you really dislike me? Please tell me why, Sasaki-San."

"You're a student, I'm an adult. A relationship would never work due to the age gap and a difference in thinking. I'm already 25 this year."

A 7 years gap. Surely, she'd be turned off by now.

But she wasn't disgusted, instead, she looked at him with a determined expression on her face. "So? Age doesn't matter."

His heartbeat went faster. It's not because of anxiety, but happiness. She didn't care about his age. Hearing it didn't even faze her. "T-there'll be lots of problems. Your parents wouldn't approve of us, we won't have time to date due to our conflicting schedules, we'll have lots of arguments because of our age gap and—"

"But we can try, can't we? If it all doesn't work, then I can accept that we don't fit together." She took one hand in hers and smiled. "It doesn't hurt to try."

Haise ruffled his hair and groaned. "Ugh okay. You win."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, she went back again for work and the two averted their eyes each time they met.

After a whole night of thinking, Haise decided that he should break up with her. She's still young and has so many things to look forward to in the future. If she dates someone her age, they can do many more things. Go on thrilling rides at the theme park, watch horror movies, all the things that he can't do. Besides, isn't it uncomfortable for her to date an older guy? I should tell her.

Then he turned so abruptly that he knocked into Touka. She fell backward and he reached out to hold her by the waist, flipped her over and they fell down with Haise hitting the floor instead of Touka. Some of the books she held also dropped to the floor. He rubbed the back of his head and winced. "Ow..."

"Sasaki-San, are you okay?"

"I think I've got a bump on my head—" he stopped when he realized the position they were in. She straddled him, with her legs on both sides of him, hands resting on his chest and faces only inches away from each other's. His face flushed when he felt her breath on his and watched as those pink lips of hers parted.

What are you, a teenage boy? Snap out of it. You already decided you were going to break up with her!

Touka started to lean closer to him with her eyes closed. He swiftly ducked her attempt at kissing and stood up. She frowned up at him and he held his hand out for her to take. Taking his hand, she stood up and dusted her clothes. Trying to ignore the fact that he didn't want to kiss her, she tried something else. "Sasaki-San, can I call you by your first name? Since we're together now..."

"..no. Listen, I wasn't thinking clearly last night. We shouldn't date. I should be with someone my age and you should be with someone your age. Let's break up and pretend nothing happened, okay?"

"B-but I like you, Sasaki-San—"

"The feelings you have now is only infatuation. Happens to everyone. It'll go away after some time. There's no way you can like a 25 year old like me. I don't have any good qualities nor am I handsome." He looked away from her.

At least, that was what Rize said about him.

Touka gritted her teeth and raised her hand to slap him. Haise's eyes widened as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Don't say that about yourself! You're a wonderful person. You helped me take a book without me asking for help, you greeted me with a smile every time I came here, you recommended me books, you hired me to work here, you nursed me when I was sick and you just protected me when I fell down just now!"

"I... that's what anyone would do."

"Not anyone, Sasaki-San," she cupped his cheeks, making him look at her, "it's because it was you, that's why I fell for you. And have you ever seen yourself in the mirror? You're very handsome. More than any other guy out there."

He frowned. What a failure of an adult he was, letting a university student comfort him while it should be the opposite. He told himself that it was for her own good that they broke up, but deep down, he was scared that he'll get hurt when the time comes where he truly is in love with her but she realizes that she didn't. He was so, so selfish.

His previous relationship with Rize had hurt him so much that he never thought he'd ever date someone again until now he thought that he wanted to be happy with Touka.

He took a clean handkerchief out from his pocket and cleaned her tears. "I'm sorry. I... thank you for telling me that."

She sniffed. "You finally understand?"

"Mm. I do."

"Then can we date?"

"Yeah."

Touka tackled him with a hug and with a defeated smile on his face, he returned the hug. This girl will be the death of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Staring outside as Touka sat behind the counter, she yawned and propped her head up on her hand. It's a slow day today, she thought as she brought out her 'The Black Goats Egg' book and started reading. She really needed to start doing her assignment. After rereading the first paragraph of the book thrice, she placed it down and sighed.

"Need help with that?" Haise asked, walking over to her with a smile.

"Nah, I'll probably bomb whatever."

"That's not good. Let me help. What are you supposed to do?"

"I need to write my interpretation of every chapter in this book. But I don't even understand the first paragraph! Literature sucks. I wonder why I even took this course."

He chuckled. "Literature is fun when you understand it. Let's see here."

—

Even after the shop had closed, Haise continued to teach Touka literature by her request. He was a much better teacher than the current one she had at the university and was thankful that he was willing to go along with her. Her eyes flickered to the clock and she gasped, quickly gathering all of her items. "I-I gotta go, Sasaki-San. It's already 9.30pm. My parents will be worried."

"Oh sure. Sorry for keeping you so late." Haise apologized as he helped her to gather her stuff.

"No, it's okay. It was because I asked you for help in my assignment. Thank you for teaching me."

"You're welcome."

She fiddled with her fingers and her face looked like she wanted to ask something. He tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Yes?"

Pink dusted her cheeks. "C-can you teach me tomorrow again?"

His grin widened. "Of course."

Touka sighed in relief and moved to kiss him on the cheek before excusing herself and left the shop. Staring into space for a few seconds, Haise's mind only just registered the fact that she kissed him and he blushed, hand holding his cheek.

He was slowly but surely, falling for her.

—

They repeated the same routine every day and Touka's parents had noticed that she had been frequently coming home late.

Entering the house, Touka announced that she was home and took off her shoes. Arata stood in the doorway and stared at her. "Where have you been these days? You're late every day!"

"Sorry papa. I've been having someone tutor me Literature."

"Oh who is it? Yoriko-Chan?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Someone I know?" He continued.

"Nope."

"...Boyfriend?"

Silence filled the air as Touka blushed furiously and Arata gasped, shocked. Arata ran to his wife, buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed. "Hikari!!!! Touka got a boyfriend without my knowledge!!!"

"There there." Hikari patted her husband's head to comfort him. Touka entered the living room where they sat on the sofa and sighed. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is!!! My precious daughter has a boyfriend!" Arata dramatically sobbed.

"Why don't you invite him here? I'm sure your father would want to see him. I want to as well." Hikari suggested, to which Arata shouted, "NO! I DON'T WANNA SEE THE GUY WHO TOOK MY BABY'S HEART!"

"Be quiet, you! You're the one who's a baby! Touka is already at that age, it's not strange for her to have a boyfriend. Besides, she's already had 3 boyfriends before this! Don't be so dramatic." Hikari then turned to her daughter, "so will you bring him here?"

Touka scratched her cheek. "Uhh I'll ask him then.."

Meanwhile, Ayato is in the corner of the room thinking that his sister's boyfriend is probably ugly.

The next day at the shop...

Touka was having troubles approaching the subject. It was too fast for him to meet her parents when they have only been dating for a while, and she knew that Haise was insecure about them dating partly because her parents wouldn't accept him. So she thought long and hard about how she was going to broach the subject.

Minutes passed as she came to no answer to that and decided to just ask him straight.

She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best. "Sasaki-San, can you meet my parents this Friday? They want to meet you."

At that moment, she heard a loud thud and opened her eyes to see what it was about. In front of her stood Sasaki frozen in that spot, with a bunch of books at his feet. He had his hands open and his face displayed a look of horror.


	7. Chapter 7

"Y-your parents?" Haise stuttered, "I'm not ready to meet them. We just started dating and—"

Touka pressed her finger to his lips to shush him. "It's okay. They just want to know who I've been spending so much time with and whether you're treating me well. They're not going to eat you up or anything. I swear."

"B-but they'll surely be turned off by the difference in age..." He trailed off, eyes averting hers.

"I'll protect you."

What a pathetic guy he was, always letting her protect him when he, as a man, was supposed to do it for her.

—

"On second thoughts, I'll go get another cake. I'm meeting your parents for the first time after all." Haise turned but Touka grabbed his arm to stop him.

"One is enough. Besides, you'll be late if you go buy another one. That's a bad first impression." She stated, then smiled after seeing how he was trembling from being so nervous. But it was heartwarming to see how much he cared about her and this meeting. "It'll be okay. They're nice people."

"If you say so. Do I look good?"

Touka scanned his appearance. He was wearing a black cardigan over his white buttoned top, blue jeans and dress shoes. "You look great."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it with a smile. "Thank you."

—

Touka opened the door and announced that she was home. A few seconds later, her father and mother gathered at the entrance to see Haise. They were surprised to see how...much older he was than their daughter.

Haise bowed. "Good evening. I'm Sasaki Haise, Kirishima's boyfriend." He held the cake box out with a smile. "This is a little thank you for having me over tonight."

"Oh that's really nice of you. Thank you." Hikari took the box from him and elbowed her husband who stood frozen from staring at Haise.

"That's my mother, Hikari and the frozen one is my father, Arata." Touka introduced and then exclaimed. "Daddy, stop embarrassing me!"

Arata coughed. "Sorry. Please come in."

—

Settling down onto the sofa, with Haise and Touka facing the two parents, Arata kept on glaring at Haise before being pinched by Hikari on the cheek to warn him to stop it. Willing his racing heart to calm down, he remembered the points he noted down when studying on how to get a good impression from a partner's parents.

"I can see how Touka resembles the two of you a lot. She has her father's hair color and her mother's eyes." Haise started.

Hikari was already impressed while Arata was not.

"Oh you could tell?!" Hikari exclaimed excitedly. "Most people can't tell what she inherited from me and I'm always so sad when they say she resembles my husband more than me!"

"Darling, let's not go there okay?" Arata sighed.

Ignoring him, she continued whining, "And then our relatives always say she has his hairstyle but that's not true, she has mine and it's so obvious! It's all this guy's fault!" She pouted.

"Dear..."

Haise chuckled. "That's true. She does have your hairstyle and don't mind if I add on but she has your nose as well. I can see it."

Hikari slammed her hands on the coffee table in front of them, startling everyone. The male sweated and was scared that he went overboard with being friendly with her. He sighed in relief when she grinned. "Yes yes, she does—"

"Okay honey that's enough. I'll be the one asking questions." Arata interrupted. "Sasaki-San, how old are you?"

His throat felt extremely dry and he swallowed painfully. "I'm 25 this year, Mr. Kirishima."

"How did you guys meet?"

"I was looking for a Literature book and I met him at his bookstore. He helped me out a lot." Arata pouted at Touka's response.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting married and settling down at your age? Our Touka has a lot ahead of her and I'm sure you wouldn't want to interrupt that, am I right?

Touka frowned. "Daddy!"

Haise shook his head at her, signaling that he was fine. "While it is true that I should be dating someone my age, it was love at first sight for me and I believe it was the same for her." He said while gazing fondly down at her with a smile. "I am happy with her and I will do my best to make her happy. I will not drag her down and will support her on the side.

Even Arata was surprised by that answer and he can't help but feel that Haise is a good man after all. "..Well said. Alright. The two of you can date but on our conditions. Hikari, you go first."

"The first is you are to not interfere with her studies," Hikari stated.

"The second is you do not hurt her or make her cry," Arata said then smiled. "Please take care of our daughter."

"I promise." Haise smiled.

\--

"Okay with that all settled, let's have some cake!" Hikari quickly got up to bring the cake that Haise brought, to the coffee table.

\--

It reached 9pm all too soon and it was time for him to leave. They said their goodbyes and Touka insisted that she sent him off at the door. While everyone went on to do their own stuff, the couple stood outside the door.

"Did I do well?" Haise asked.

She nodded. "I'm sorry about the two conditions though."

"Don't be. I would say it's lenient of them. They're entrusting their precious daughter to me after all. I'll see you tomorrow at work." He said, took her hands in his and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Touka stared as he slowly disappeared into the night, whilst blushing and her hand held the spot where his lips were. Ever since they started dating, he rarely made moves on her and that kiss made her heart race. She then started to desire more.


	8. Chapter 8

"Haise."

His ears twitched at the sound of his name and he turned to his girlfriend. Touka blushed. "Can I call you that from now on? Since we're dating..."

Cheeks warming, Haise scratched his nape and smiled nervously. "Sure. Then I'll call you by your first name?"

She nodded.

"Touka."

"Mm."

His cheeks turned hotter and he suddenly recalled that this was how he felt when he started calling his ex by her first name. Heart fluttering and hands sweating. It's been a long time since he's experienced this feeling and he missed it.

An idea popped into Touka's head and she decided to test it out. She closed her eyes and waited. Blinking, Haise stared down at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "What's wrong? Are you tired? Do you need some rest?"

Her eyes cracked open and she sighed in disappointment. He was too dense and it was too embarrassing for her to spell it out that she wanted a kiss so she only shook her head and told him that it was nothing. Meanwhile, he was still wondering what it was all about.

Every time they were near, she would close her eyes again and he'll always be left there confused. It seemed like she wanted something but he didn't know what. It's happened many times already and he decided to ask. "Touka-Chan... is there something you want from me?"

Her heart skipped a beat. She then sulked. "That's right and you don't give it to me. I try to give you hints but you're so clueless."

"A-Ah, sorry. I've been told I'm very dense so if it's not put in words, I can't understand."

She pouted and then mumbled. "I wanted you to kiss me..."

So that's what she wants. His mind wandered back to the many moments where she had her eyes closed. It was pretty obvious if he stopped to think thoroughly about it. "Sorry... do you still want that kiss?"

She shook her head. "I'm not in the mood anymore."

Haise deflated and frowned. Though it was his fault that she doesn't want it anymore, he can't help but feel a little disappointed. "Oh okay..."

...

Touka groaned and cursed, almost forgetting that if she got caught, her school would expel her for dating. "Ugh okay but on one condition. We do it in private."

Looking around for customers, Haise beamed when he saw there was no one around and started walking towards the door behind the counter. She followed behind him and he closed the door. It was dark, with the only light source coming from the bottom of the door but he could still see her pink cheeks. 

The two were different in height by 15cm so he had to bend his knees a little to kiss her. The couple closed their eyes at the warm sensation.

Touka's lips were soft, as he had imagined and tasted like strawberry which he thought was her lip gloss. While Haise's mind was clear, hers was swirling from the kiss. His lips were warm and had a slight taste of chapstick. She didn't know what to do and all she knew was that she didn't want this to end. So her arms moved to rest on his back and pulled him closer while his went to her shoulders.

They locked lips for a few seconds, with both of them sucking each other's lips until they had to separate for air. The sound of them panting softly filled the air.

He stared down at her pink lips and then moved in to capture them again. Her breath was taken away by the sudden action and deep down she was incredibly happy that he didn't want this to end either. Her hands roamed up his muscular chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands moved to her waist as they pressed against each other so closely, with no space between them.

Things were about to get even hotter when the shop's bell chimed and Haise had to pull away from Touka to receive his customer. She whined at the loss of contact and froze when he gave her a kiss on the cheek with a smile before opening the door.

—

"Welcome to Re Bookstore!"


	9. Chapter 9

Slowly opening her eyes, Touka's jaw dropped when she saw the grade on her Literature test she had a week ago. Distinction. It was the first time in her life that she has gotten that grade for any subject. Her heart warmed at the thought of showing this to Haise after school that she didn't notice her best friend peeking over her shoulder to see what she was smiling about.

"Whoa! It's my first time seeing Touka-chan get a distinction! Will pigs finally fly?" Yoriko exclaimed, earning an elbow into her stomach by Touka then grinned. "It's thanks to Sasaki-san eh?"

\--

"Haise. I got a distinction for my Literature test." Touka said, holding the test paper out for him to see.

"That's great news, Touka!" The male got too excited and forgot about their rule where they only can engage in couple-thingy when they're out of the public's eyes, and he hugged her. But since he looked so happy, she let it go just this once and let him hug her. "We should go out on a date! To celebrate you getting that grade!"

"Erm... That's not a good idea actually..." She mumbled.

He released her with a frown. "Why not?"

Touka sighed, she felt guilty for keeping it from him. Dragging him to behind the door, Haise stared down at her with a puzzled look on his face as she bit her lower lip and hesitated. "What's wrong?"

"My school doesn't allow students to date. We'll be expelled if we're caught."

"..what? But it wasn't like that a few years ago."

"They changed the rule after they realized students were giving the school a bad impression when they misbehaved outside school. Students' grades were also affected because they dated. I know this is selfish of me but could we please keep our relationship low until I graduate? I only have one more year. Please." She pleaded.

"But Touka... If we're caught, I don't want to be the reason you get expelled. I promised your parents that I wouldn't interfere with your studies." He protested.

"Yes but you also promised my father that you would take care of me. I'm sorry that we can't be a normal couple and go on dates. I really am."

His heart hurt when she looked so sad and he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "Alright, I'll keep our relationship a secret."

Touka hugged him back. "Thank you..."

\--

Though he told himself he couldn't let her see that he was upset by this, it was still obvious that he was, being someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. Ever since she told him about the dating thing, Haise had been sighing nonstop and looked so unhappy. Touka felt so, so selfish and wanted to do anything to make him feel better.

She suddenly recalled him telling her about his birthday some time ago and when she checked the calendar, she realized that it was in a week. This was a chance for her to make it up to him and decided to get a cake to celebrate his birthday with him.


	10. Chapter 10

Touka lied to Haise about not going to work due to her studies but she was actually busy looking for a perfect cake and present to give him. On that day, she texted him saying that she was going over to his apartment after he's done with work. So he sat on his sofa after showering and waited excitedly for her to arrive. He's been so lonely for the past few days and couldn't wait to see her.

The doorbell rang and he rushed to answer it. Opening the door, he saw Touka standing there with a cake box in one hand. "...Aren't you going to let me in?"

Haise didn't even realize he had been staring at her and quickly stepped aside for her to enter. By the time he closed the door, his girlfriend had already taken out the cake from the box and sat on the sofa. She patted the space beside her, signaling for him to sit and he did. His eyes sparkled at the sight of the cookies and cream cake on his coffee table. "You remembered my birthday?"

"Of course. How could I forget—" Her breath caught in her throat when she saw tears forming in his eyes. "H-Hey, are you okay? Do you not like the cake?"

He shook his head and used his arm to wipe away his tears. "That's not it. I'm really happy right now. It's been a long time since anyone celebrated my birthday for me. Not since...my best friend passed away." Haise's voice wavered.

"Oh... I'm sorry I reminded you of that and sorry for the loss."

"It's okay. I just—thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

Touka knew he was a very private person and didn't share many things with her. He always had a smile on his face whenever he was with her, so she wasn't able to tell what his true feelings were. "Make a wish then blow the candles out."

"...You're not going to sing me the birthday song?" Haise stared at her with his puppy eyes.

She winced. "I suck at singing."

"Pretty please?" He pleaded.

She just couldn't ignore his eyes. "Ugh okay."

At the end of the song, he closed his eyes, clasped his hands together to make a wish and then blew the candles' fire out. She cut a piece of cake and passed it to him on a plate before getting a piece for herself. They started eating in silence, with Touka finishing first and placed her plate down. "So...what wish did you make?"

"For you to graduate with flying colors." He answered, voice muffled from stuffing the cake into his mouth.

It touched her that he cared so much. "What! You're supposed to make a wish for yourself, not me!"

"I'll make my own wish after you safely graduate."

Touka sighed. He was too stubborn. "Whatever you want. It's your birthday after all."

Haise blinked as he stared at her and put his plate down. He moved his face closer to hers, rubbed some cream off her cheek with his thumb and ate it. Her cheeks burned at the proximity because they were so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

He knows that he should stop but he couldn't. Not when she looked so beautiful with her big blue eyes staring into his, pink cheeks and her attractive lips. He tilted his head and leaned in to kiss her.


	11. Chapter 11

Opening his eyes, Haise glanced around the room, only to be disappointed that Touka wasn't there. He got up groggily and reached for his T-shirt on the floor but it was missing. Hm? The male was pretty sure he tossed it somewhere on the floor the previous night. Oh well, he thought as he reached for his cupboard to get himself a new set of clothes.

\--

He entered the kitchen with a yawn and got startled when he saw Touka standing in front of the counter with her back facing him. His heart raced when he scanned her appearance. She was wearing his shirt—the one he was finding for earlier—and her white shorts. Moving to wrap his arms around her torso, he pressed a kiss to her nape and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" He asked, inhaling her natural lavender scent.

Touka sighed, leaning back against his chest. "I'm making coffee and fried egg for breakfast. Want some?"

"Yes, please. How...do you feel?"

"If you're asking how my body feels, then I feel great."

"T-That's good to hear..." He blushed, mind wandering back to the previous night, where they engaged in...adult activities and became one. He could still remember how soft her skin felt underneath his fingertips and how her back would arch when he—

"Go take a seat first. I'll be done in 5 minutes."

"Okay."

\--

After they finished their breakfast, Haise stared as Touka—who sat across from him—clean her mouth with a tissue and started to stack the utensils one by one. It's been a long time since he's had meals with someone in this house. If only this could last forever... the two of them would wake up in the same house, have meals together and spend time together for the whole day.

Those were his thoughts when he grabbed her hand, prompting her to stop her actions and look at him. He seemed anxious. "Haise?"

"You'll...stay with me, right?" He asked, voice wavering.

So that's what he was worried about. Her eyes softened. "Of course."

"Forever?"

"If you want me to, yes. Are you proposing to me?" She joked, hoping that it would lighten his mood a bit. It did succeed when his face turned red and he leaned back in his chair so quickly that he almost fell backward.

"I-I'll propose when the time comes..." He mumbled, averting her gaze.

Touka ended being embarrassed by her own question and blushed. She can't help but feel happy that he will propose in the future. "Pinky promise, then?"

He stared as she held her pinky out and he hooked his around hers. "I promise."

She nodded with a smile and took the utensils in her hands. Haise took half of it from her. "Let me help!"


	12. Chapter 12

"Welcome to Re—" Haise's eyes widened when he saw his ex-girlfriend in his shop. "Rize..."

The purple haired lady licked her lips. He rolled his eyes at the fact that she didn't change at all from 2 years ago and still had the same long hairstyle, white dress, and pink heels. "It's good to see you again, Haise. Isn't it mean for you to just disappear after we broke up and secretly open this shop? I searched everywhere for you."

His gaze hardened and he frowned. "We have nothing to do with each other so I had no reason to tell you anything."

"Haise?" Touka called and stared at the two adults facing each other.

"Hm? Who's this?"

"My..." He hesitated, knowing full well he couldn't tell Rize anything because God only knows what she'll do with the information. "She's my employee."

She understood that he's doing this for her sake so that they wouldn't be found out. Stretching her hand out, she greeted Rize. "Nice to meet you, umm?"

Rize shook her hand and smiled. "The name's Kamishiro Rize. I'm Haise's ex-girlfriend."

After staring at Touka longer than necessary, she turned to Haise. "I'll be back tomorrow. Don't run away again."

With that, she left the shop. Haise exhaled a breath that he had been holding and rested his fists on the counter. Touka touched his arm and he looked at her. "Hey, you okay?"

"..yeah. Just..seeing her again made me a little agitated."

"What happened between the two of you? If you don't mind me asking."

He then proceeded to tell Touka how he met Rize in university and dated for a few years. They promised to get married, have kids and someday open their dream bookshop. One day, he came home to find Rize naked in bed with another guy. After some clarification, he realized that she had been cheating on him for years with different guys. He was heartbroken and broke up with her on the spot. After that, he moved to another city and opened the bookshop on his own and 2 years later, here he was.

Even when they'd broken up for a long time already, he could still remember the words she told him on the night they broke up.

"Haise darling. I'm sorry you had to see this. I wouldn't say that it's my fault since the problem was you. You're too boring and loyal to me. I wanted someone who took risks and is adventurous. You're none of those. The only thing that attracted me to you was your face. But I guess it wasn't enough for me to continue loving you."

Those words haunted him day and night and he was only recently able to forget them. Until she turned up at his bookshop today.

Touka cupped his cheeks and stroked it with her fingers. "I promised that I'd be by your side and I'll keep that promise. I love you."

Tears brimmed in his eyes and he pressed his lips to hers. "I love you too. Thank you."


	13. Chapter 13

Haise sighed and glanced around the shop, which had a few customers browsing the books. He was lonely that Touka wasn't here today. It can't be helped, she had school stuff to do. The bell rung, signaling a new customer and he frowned upon seeing Rize at the door. Instead of going straight to him, she walked around the shop and looked at the books. Pulling one out of the shelf, she brought it to the counter where he stood. "I'll take this."

Instead of his usual customer service smile, he didn't have any expression on his face when he scanned the book and put it in a bag. "That'll be $20."

Rize grabbed his hand and he felt so disgusted by her touch that he wanted to withdraw but her grip on him tightened. "Haise, why don't we get back together?"

"No. What makes you think that I want to do that after seeing you cheat on me for years?"

She laughed. "Oh come on darling, you're still hung up on the words I said to you? I see you still haven't changed."

"And I'm sure that you'll cheat on me again even if we get back together. Besides, I don't have feelings for you anymore."

Her clever ass picked up the hint. "Oh? That means you like someone else? Who is it?"

Haise averted her gaze and she stared at him with a smirk. "It's your employee, isn't it? Aren't you a little too old to be dating a student like her?"

His eyes widened. She knew Touka was a student. But it could be just a guess. If he answered her any further, it would only fuel her suspicions. "It's none of your business. Leave me alone."

"Hmm... I wonder if you can still say the same thing if I were to show you this." Rize said, as she brought out her phone and opened her photo gallery. Haise's eyes bulged at the photo of him and Touka kissing. She chuckled as he tried to snatch the phone from her but she pulled her arm away from him. 

He glared daggers at her and she smiled. "Now don't be like that, Haise. How about this? In exchange for the photo, break up with her and date me. I'm sure you don't want her to be expelled when I send this to her school, right?"

The male clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. This was the 2nd time he'd broken their 'no-public' rule and he couldn't let Touka be expelled because of him. But to break up with Touka... It was something he didn't want to do, not after he had finally found happiness with her.

"Give me some time to think about it. I trust that you will keep your word and not send the photo to anyone while I come up with my answer."

"Of course."

\--

Haise went to bed after a shower without even drying his hair and spent the whole night fretting about what he should do. Break up with her? Or risk her getting expelled? He fell asleep before he could come up with an answer and woke up with a 38-degree fever the next day.

When he didn't turn up for work, Touka got worried and decided to pay him a visit.


	14. Chapter 14

Knocking on the door twice, no one answered it so Touka brought out the spare keys Haise had passed her and unlocked the door. After leaving her shoes on the rake, she made her way straight to his room when she didn't see him in the living room nor the kitchen. "Haise? I'm coming in."

Upon opening the door, her heart leaped at seeing her boyfriend on the floor with his face down and she quickly moved to grab his arm to help him up. His body's hot! I gotta get him to bed fast! Raising his head, Haise raised his head to look at Touka who was struggling to hold his body up. "Why are you here..?"

"You didn't come for work so I was worried. Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" She groaned as she finally managed to get him on his bed and threw the blankets over him.

He coughed. "Sorry, I was about to but I got dizzy and fell down."

"Nevermind. You need rest. I'll get you some medicines then you need to sleep after that." Touka said, worry filling her voice and his eyes watered because he couldn't let her get expelled when she's so nice to him and doesn't deserve it. 

As she fed him his medicine, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the last time that he'll ever be with her. He was always protected by her, but this time he will protect her.

"Touka... Let's break up."

She dropped the towel to the floor and pushed his chest to get him to lay down but he didn't budge. Her body shook, visibly disturbed by what he said. "I think your fever is higher than I expected. You should sleep now."

Haise grabbed her hand to stop her and stared straight into her eyes. "I'm serious. Let's break up."

"But why? We're getting along well..."

"I..." He bit his lower lip, he had wanted to do this gently but he had no choice. "I decided I want to get back with Rize."

"You said she cheated on you--"

"I know what I said! But after going out with you, I realized that I still love her. Besides, I couldn't say this but it's a burden to go out with you when we can't go on any dates or do things in public. I want to be with someone who—"

Touka slapped him and he knew it was over when he felt the stinging sensation on his cheek. Small tears dripped down on the blanket and he looked at her with wide eyes. This was the second time he had seen her cry. The first was when their relationship started, and the second (now) is when their relationship ended.

Gathering all of her things, she ran out of the room and his house. Haise clenched his fists and tears finally escaped his eyes. I'm sorry. I couldn't keep our promise of staying together and making you happy... 

His phone ringtone sounded the air. Wiping his tears away, he grabbed his phone to answer it. "Hello?"

Rize was on the other side of the phone. 

"Have you broken up with her?" 

"..Yes. Now give me the picture."

"Don't be so hasty. I'll keep them with me in case you decide to get back with her when you have the picture with you."

He gritted his teeth. He really hated this bitch.


	15. Chapter 15

It's been a week since they broke up and Touka stopped coming to work. Instead of everything going back to the usual before Haise started dating her, it felt even worse. The time passed painfully slow and he felt extremely lonely. As if to further upset him, Rize had been visiting his shop every few days to check up on him or ask him to take her on a date.

Whenever he went out with Rize, he would always be so miserable and she even told him to pretend he was happy even if he wasn't. He had to obey her, because who knew what she would do if he didn't listen to her. 

Touka was suffering as well. She rarely could sleep after that because she'd dream of him each time and start crying herself to sleep. As a result of that, her studies deteriorated and she didn't talk to her friends as much as before. Her parents and friends were worried but didn't ask as they didn't want to make her even sadder than she was.

Yoriko couldn't stand her friend being like this anymore and gathered her courage to ask. "T-Touka-chan. Can you tell me what happened? It's been a month."

"...Haise and I broke up. He said he wanted to get back with his ex."

Even Yoriko was surprised. "WHAT??!! I THOUGHT SHE CHEATED ON HIM! WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?!"

"I don't know... He said I was a burden."

He didn't seem like someone who would say that. There had to be a reason for this, Yoriko thought as she entered his store and looked for him. "Excuse me! Can I see the boss?"

"Yes, I am the boss--" Haise stopped. "What are you doing here?"

"I just want to know the truth. If you can tell me, please do." Yoriko said.

Alas, he kept his mouth shut and turned his back to her. "...Go away. You wouldn't understand."

"She's hurting every day and misses you a lot!" Yoriko continued, hoping that if he had a tiny shred of kindness in his heart, he would tell her what happened.

Hearing that, he looked down and bit his lip to stop himself from crying there. "I did it for her. My ex-girlfriend threatened that if I didn't break up with Touka, she would leak pictures of us dating to the school. I don't want her to get expelled because of me. My ex even forced me to keep this from her. Anyway, this is for the best. We didn't belong in each other's worlds in the first place."

"Do you honestly think that's true? Touch your heart and ask yourself if you can really live without her."

Haise didn't reply and Yoriko turned to leave. He grabbed her shoulder to stop her and brought out a rabbit keychain. "Wait! Could you pass this to her? I know her birthday had already passed, but I wanted to give her something. Please don't tell her it was from me."

"Okay."

"Thank you..."

-The next day-

"Touka-chan open your hands!" Yoriko shouted.

"What?" Touka did as she was told and watched a rabbit keychain drop into a palm. Her eyes widened. This design... "Where did you get this from?!"

"Hm? I bought it!"

But... she never told Yoriko that she wanted this. The only person she told was...

Squeezing the keychain in her hand, she turned and ran. This was from Haise!

\--

Slamming the shop door open, Touka startled every customer who was in the shop, including Haise. Wanting to scold the idiot who just banged his precious door, he brisked walked over and was about to scold them when he saw her. He almost wanted to cry, if not for the presence of his customers. "P-please open the door more gently. You're disturbing everyone else."

"Haise. We need to talk." Touka glared at him.

His face paled and he glanced around to check if Rize was here. Fortunately, she wasn't. "Uhh. I don't have anything I want to talk about with you."

Noticing something was up, she left the shop and texted him. 

\--

I'll wait for you to finish work.

\--

Okay.

\--

He gulped. Why does she look angry? I hope Kosaka-san didn't tell Touka anything.


	16. Chapter 16

Immediately after they entered Haise's apartment, Touka brought the rabbit keychain out for him to see. "What's the meaning of this? You said you wanted to get back with Rize so why are you giving me this?"

Those questions meant that Kosaka-san hasn't told her anything huh? Phew.

He rubbed his chin. "Don't take this the wrong way. You celebrated my birthday so the keychain was just a return."

"Then why couldn't you pass it to me in person?"

Averting his eyes, he touched his chin again. "I was busy manning the shop."

You liar. You know you still love her.

"..You're hiding something from me. Look me in the eye and tell me again."

Haise had to get her out of his house as soon as possible. The longer she stayed, the more he wanted to just kiss her, hug her and never let her go again. At that moment his eyes met hers, all of the courage he had disappeared and he hesitated, not wanting to lie to her anymore. "I-I love you, Touka. That's why I had to do it for you."

Her eyes softened and she moved to cup his cheeks. "Tell me everything."

He spilled everything and earned a hit on his head from her. He winced and held a hand over the area she hit. "OW! What was that for?!"

"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me? Then we could have come up with solutions together instead of making both of us miserable by breaking up!" Touka roared and he could hear the anger in her voice.

"I didn't have a choice! Rize has pictures of us dating as proof!" Haise protested.

"Still! Do you know how sad I was when you told you didn't want me anymore?" She frowned and this time, Haise held her cheeks in his hands. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he apologized and she pouted, pink dusting her cheeks. "One more kiss. On the lips."

Haise blushed and leaned in to kiss her. They let out a sigh into each other's mouths when their lips touched. It's been too long. Separating hesitantly, Touka looked up at the male with a smile. "Let's find a way around this."

He nodded and leaned in again. "Just one more..."

After so many 'one more' kisses, Touka got irritated and shoved him away from her. "No more! Be serious! I want to fix this!"

The male whimpered. "Okay."

So Haise ran over what Rize's personality was like, how she had been visiting his shop every few days to check up on him, how she would check his phone messages and everything. Touka bit her lower lip and pondered. "She's tough."

"Mm... Touka-chan, how many years have you got left to graduate?" He asked.

"About 1 year. Why?" Touka replied.

"I think I've got an idea."

The more she listened to his idea, the more unhappy she looked. "Is there really no other way?"

He frowned. "I couldn't think of any other way. Listen, I don't like it too but we'll have to stay away from each other at least until you graduate. No texts, no mails, no meeting. For now, focus on your studies. If you come to see me after you graduate and we still have the same feelings, then we can date."

"..okay."

"Sorry. I dragged you into this."

Touka shook her head. "It's partly my fault."

Haise hugged her tightly and rested his head on hers. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"Me too."

They separated and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You should go home now. Your parents will be worried."

"I don't want to. Let me stay for tonight, please."

He couldn't refuse her and took her hand, leading her to his bedroom. They took their time to make love as if it was the last time they'll ever see each other.


	17. Chapter 17

Touka didn't stay the night, unlike the last time and returned home. Her eyes were red from the crying and her father was the first to notice. "Oh darling. Do you need me to go beat him up for you? It's been a month."

She shook her head as a response. "We solved the problem."

"Then why are you crying?" Arata was confused.

"Because I won't be able to see him until a year later. Sorry Papa, can I be left alone?"

"Of course. We'll be here if you need anything."

\--

She went up to her room and opened up her phone. The wallpaper was of Haise and her. They took a photo earlier that night, with Haise insisting that if they missed each other, the picture would be able to help. It was only 30 minutes ago that she saw him, but she already missed him so badly.

Throwing herself onto the bed, she hugged the phone to her chest and stared at the books on her table. Haise's wish came to her mind and she got up to sit at her table. 

I will make his wish come true.

\--

Meanwhile, Haise was lying on his bed when he turned to his side. Though Touka was already gone for a full 30 minutes, he could still feel warmth over the spot she laid and closed his eyes to inhale her scent. He made sure to etch the smell in his mind so that he'll never forget.

I look forward to seeing you in a year, Touka.

\--

With that, the two of them returned to the daily lives, determined to do their best until they meet each other again.

\--

In Haise's case, it was handling Rize.

Rize watched as Haise hummed a tune while he arranged the books and narrowed her eyes. "You're in a good mood today. Did something happen?"

The male froze. He couldn't let her know their plan. "Nothing. My favorite television show was on last night."

"Hm, is that so? Oh well, I might be overthinking. You wouldn't dare oppose me when I have the pictures after all. Bring me out on a date this weekend." She said nonchalantly while twirling her purple hair between her fingers.

Now that he's made up with Touka, he felt guilty for going out with Rize. "Listen. I can't be bringing you on dates every week. I have my shop to take care of."

"Oh? You have the audacity to reject me. I can send the pictures to the school anytime—"

"I'll go."

She smiled. "Good."

He'd do anything for Touka, even if it meant bearing with this devil woman.

\--

In Touka's case, it was handling her studies. Being someone who wasn't good at studying, getting good grades was a hurdle for her. Not having Haise tutor her Literature anymore was a bummer but at least she still remembered what he taught her. 

She started to study really hard and went to extra measures to squeeze more time in. That meant studying on the way to school, not hanging out with her friends and heading home straight after class, and staying up at night to study. 

The picture always served as her motivation to continue on every time she thinks that she can't do this anymore and wants to give up.

Although Touka's parents were angry at Haise for making their daughter suffer, they were also grateful to him for being able to motivate her to study. She never studied this hard before and because of that, they were convinced that he was a good person for being able to influence her this way.


	18. Chapter 18

One year later...

Haise received a text from Yoriko, saying that it was their graduation day. She didn't mention how Touka did for her final exams and that it would be better to hear it from the actual person herself.

Heaving a sigh of relief, his heart warmed and he smiled. If she graduated, that means she passed. That's great. Another emotion filled his heart and that was excitement. He couldn't wait to dump Rize and see Touka again.

While Haise was busy thinking of how to prepare himself to meet Touka, the bell chimed and the door opened. He stared at the person standing at the door and smiled. "It's been too long, Touka-chan."

Touka returned the smile. "Yeah."

The male scanned her appearance, where she wore a black graduation gown, cap, flats and held a scroll tied by a red ribbon in her hand. She walked towards him and tackled him with a hug. Although taken aback at first, he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his nose into her hair, where he inhaled her natural lavender scent.

The two separated and she looked up at him with a grin. "I graduated from Kamii University as of today with flying colors."

Flying colors..? Where has he heard that before?

"You—my wish—" Haise was overwhelmed with happiness that it was affecting his ability to speak in full sentences. "That's really great. I'm happy for you!"

 

Before Touka could reply, the bell rang and Rize entered the store. "Oh. I see you graduated safely. Good for you, Kirishima-san."

Haise moved to stand in front of Touka and his gaze hardened. "What do you want, Rize? She's not a student anymore, so you have nothing else to threaten us with."

"You don't have to be so fierce. I'm here today to break up with you, Haise. I'm getting married next month. Don't worry about the pictures because I've already deleted them."

He stopped gritting his teeth and had a surprised look on his face. "Oh um okay. Congratulations?"

"Thank you. Haise, I know you think I'm a liar and hate me but I want you to know that I really loved you at one point in time. I wish you happiness with Kirishima-san. Goodbye." Rize turned.

"U-Um! Me too! I loved you a long time ago!" Haise shouted and Rize giggled.

 

"I don't think you should be telling me that in front of your girlfriend. She's looking angry." 

His eyes widened and he turned to Touka, who had her cheeks puffed out with a frown. "Ah um that was when we were dating and—"

 While he was busy trying to explain this to her who seemed to be getting angrier by the second, Rize left the shop.

"Why are you confessing to her? It should be to me..." Touka mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Ah... He understood why she was upset. A couple that has been apart for a year would be insecure about whether they still felt the same towards each other. She was uncertain about his feelings for her. Haise took one hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I love you, Touka. My feelings for you will never change, no matter how far apart we are."

Touka blushed. "Me too. I still love you."

"Excuse me... Sorry to disturb, but I would like to purchase these books." A male customer said while holding a stack of 5 books in his hands. 

Haise released Touka's hands and cast an apologetic glance to her. "Oh! Of course! Please come to the counter!"

\--

After a long day of work, Haise went up to his apartment where Touka was waiting for him on the couch. He sat down beside her and pulled her close for a kiss. Sighs escaped their lips as they wrapped arms around each other's bodies, caressed one another's cheeks and ran their fingers through each other's hair.

Haise was the first to pull away but still held her hands in his and gazed into her mesmerizing blue eyes. "Touka. In that 1 year we were apart, I have been thinking every single day about you and our relationship. On some days, I thought maybe this would work out. But on other days, I was worried that you'd abandon me and find someone your age to love. However, as time passed, the deeper I fell in love with you and looked forward to seeing you again. I decided that if we met again and our feelings haven't changed, I'll spend the rest of my life with you. Kirishima Touka-san, will you marry me?"

Touka's eyes widened when she saw him bring out a ring box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. Tears brimmed in her eyes when she finally realized that he kept his promise on proposing to her. "Yes. I'll marry you."

He grinned and slid the ring on the fourth finger on her left hand. They shared a kiss for a long time.

\--

"The prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after. The end." Haise closed the storybook and smiled as he looked down at his sleeping wife and 2 children. He pressed a kiss on their foreheads and closed his eyes.

\--

Meeting you was fate, becoming your boyfriend was a choice, but falling in love with you was something I couldn't control.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone who has been reading this story from start to end! I appreciate the kudos and comments. Hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.


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